THE rejection of planning permission for seven wind turbines has been welcomed by locals who had sent in more than 50 letters of objection.

A controversial wind farm proposed north of Crieff has been turned down by Perth and Kinross Council

Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has backed the decision from local authority councillors to block planning permission for seven turbines at Amulree.

The project had attracted controversy for a number of reasons and hostile locals had sent in more than 50 letters of objection.

A 14-turbine windfarm at nearby Calliacher was completed last year but only after initial refusal by the council and a public inquiry.

This led to the Scottish Government granting the application.

Murdo Fraser believes that this latest decision should serve as an example as to why local councillors are better placed to adjudicate on planning applications than officials in Edinburgh.

He said: “I am pleased that elected councillors in Perth and Kinross have listened to local opinion and thrown out this application for more turbines in Highland Perthshire.

“It is clear that local people feel that enough is enough and that this area has already taken more than its fair share of wind energy developments.

“The key issue now is whether the SNP Government will do what it has done so often in the past and overturn the democratic decision of these local representatives on appeal.

“Once again, this certainly points to the need for a change in planning law to give local councils, not government ministers, the final say in wind developments, as proposed by the Scottish Conservatives.”